Reports that the National Affordable Housing Agreement will be scrapped at the next budget have sent shockwaves through the housing and homelessness sector, with advocates warning that abandoning the agreement will have devastating effects on the most vulnerable members of our community.
NSW Housing spokesperson Jenny Leong MP said that, while the agreement was flawed, it was an essential source of funding for public housing.
“The fact that the Federal Government has invested $9 billion dollars into the affordable housing scheme since 2009 but the supply of public housing has gone backwards by 16,000 homes is a shameful indictment on all state governments, including the NSW Coalition,” said Ms Leong.
“If the Federal Government responds by pulling the plug instead of fixing the system, there will be devastating impacts for the most vulnerable in our communities.”
“We need a system that requires states to front up and address the housing crisis with meaningful investment in public housing.”
“The NSW Liberal Government continues to brag about our strong economy, which is driven in large part by a booming property market. But they continue to ignore the people being left behind by the property boom, those not able to meet the costs of sky-rocketing rents and house prices.”
“It’s disgraceful that Federal and State Governments keep passing the buck on who’s responsible for addressing the housing crisis, while more and more families, older people and workers feel the impacts – and the numbers of people on the streets and on public housing waiting lists continues to grow,” she said.
Read a related response from Greens Federal Housing spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon.
